Trivalent lanthanide ions (Ln3+) have electronically
isolated f-orbitals that support excited states, which, due to their
ultra-narrow emission and long spin coherence lifetimes, are potentially
suitable as hosts for spin qubits. These excited states must however
be generated through photosensitization due to the low-absorption
cross sections of Ln3+. This paper describes the mechanism
of photosensitization of Yb3+ and Sm3+ ions
by their CsPbCl3 perovskite nanocrystal (NC) host matrices,
through examination of the photophysical processes in NCs doped with
seven different Ln3+ ions. An observed dependence of the
NC’s band-edge photoluminescence (PL) on the potential of the
Ln3+/Ln2+ redox couple implies the presence
of a charge transfer intermediate in the sensitization mechanism.
Ultrafast transient absorption (TA) experiments indicate that (i)
a previously identified Ln3+-Cl–-VPb
2–-Cl–-Ln3+ defect is formed within 1 ps of photoexcitation of the NC regardless
of the yield of photosensitization, (ii) the first step of photosensitization,
an electron transfer, occurs in 10s of picoseconds, and (iii) the
resulting charge-separated state forms the emissive species, Ln3+*, through a slower subsequent hole transfer from the NC.
A mechanistic understanding of Ln3+ dopant sensitization
provides a framework for choosing the right combination of host matrix
and Ln3+ species for efficient photosensitization.